ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Elastography is a noninvasive imaging technique based on estimation of the tissue flexibility. There are two methods of elastography: Static Elastography and Shear Wave Elastography. Scale of deformation under pressure is presented as a colourful map – elastogram, where red colour signify soft tissues, green colour signify middle tough tissues and blue colour signify tough tissues. Analysis of elastograms enable us to present results as ROI1/ROI2 index. In adult patients decreased flexibility is characteristic for malignant lesions (except follicular thyroid carcinoma) and benign lesions are flexible in elastography.

Aim of study: The aim of our study was to evaluate the deformation in elastography of different benign lesions.

Materials and methods: In a prospective study between February 2013 and December 2017 112 patients with lesions in thyroid were examined. We compared ROI1/ROI2 index with results of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) to determine any correlations. Elastography parameters were acquired with Toshiba Aplio MX SSA-780A system and analyzed while comparing of the stiffness of ROI 1 (of healthy tissue) to ROI 2 (of the nodule).

Results: All 112 patients were benign in cytological examination. In 34 patients with lymphocytic thyroiditis ROI1/ROI2 index was 2.47 with SD 1.42. In 78 patients with nodular goiter, colloid nodular goiter, nodular goiter with oxyphilic metaplasia, partially cystic nodular goiter, lymph node, lymphatic tissue with single Hodgkin like cells, lesion resembling haemorrhagic cysts ROI1/ROI2 index was 3,55 with SD 2.99 and it was statistically significant higher than in patients with lymphocytic inflammation (P=0.048).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that all benign lesions in thyroid in children were usually soft in elastography and the lymphocytic thyroiditis in children seems to be more soft than the nodular goiter.